I just happened to look through this friend's blog post, and this sharing suddenly made me pause and think:

i remember that when i was in year 1, i came into the uni ministry being very fervent about missions. at that point of time, i just came back from a life-changing short term missions trip, and there was a lot of excitement about going overseas and impacting the world. i had experienced God greatly during my trip (it was only 8 days but so much was learnt), and i was very zealous about going for future missions, and told myself that i would want to use my 4 years of uni life to build my foundation and equip myself to be a missionary.

Then along time, there was some wavering of this passion. there were times when i felt silly thinking about myself going for missions, feeling inadequate and doubtful about opportunities to do so, and questioning my heart’s motives and practical issues like financial providence, career, family, etc. it felt that missions was a very far off option to me. it felt like a dream, something which after a while, i grew to put it aside and not touch that topic unless people talked about it. afterall, not everyone in the ministry was exposed or aware of missions and there were not many people to share the burden with. i felt out of place thinking about it, at least during this time, and decided to suppress some of these thoughts and desires.

but deep within, i knew that the seed of missions was planted without no reason.

My friend is from the same church as me. Her sharing gave me pause - which I hadn't seen before. The question is, if we are supposed to be a missions-oriented church, then how is it that someone passing through our own church would actually face discouragement and dulling of the passion for missions?

If we claim to be a missions-oriented church heaven-bent on fulfilling the Great Commission, then shouldn't it be the case that the majority of people passing through our ministries become at the very least excited about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to those around us?

A year or so ago, another dear friend - one of the leaders - did raise this question in his blog. And he raised it again during a chat with some of the church-planters. I was there, so I heard it.

Thank God we're finally getting back on track. Ps Jeff told the Adults service people at the last combined CG prayer meeting that 80% of the adults responded for missions. Hallelujah! this is a good sign indeed. Not to say that everyone will immediately have a heart for missions, but at the very least, the excitement, the joy and the desire to share Christ to the nations should never, ever be lost. And God forbid that all those who have their hearts set on going for missions, being ready to respond to Christ's call to give their all... become discouraged by us from going into the missions field. Then we would have forgotten why God put this church on the map. We would become insulated, self-serving "Christians", setting up comfortable buildings for ourselves and so on... while the Lord Jesus himself stares at our comfortable asses parking themselves on padded pews and exclaims in holy wrath: "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations?' But you have made it a den of robbers."

May the grace and mercy of God be upon us as we get back on track and renew our first love for Jesus - Jesus! Jesus! Son of Man, Son of God. Light of the World, Bright Morning Star. Alpha and Omega, First and Last, Beginning and End. Saviour of the world, Hope of the nations...

May the new building that we want to build not become a parking lot or (God forbid) a playground, but a mighty runway. A runway to obey His Commission to go! to go and make disciples of ALL nations. An aircraft carrier to train up, fuel and equip, mobilise and inspire disciples to get ready to arm themselves w the armour of God and the missiles of prayer... to be trained in the Word and the Spirit... to rev up their engines and roar off the runway! to boldly go where the Gospel has yet to take root... from city to city, from island to island... to the uttermost ends of the earth! Till justice rolls on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Of course everyone may not be going physically... but that should not therefore be our attitude. We go with them in spirit. Jesus did not say go by plane or sea or leg... He just said, "Therefore go..." Go how? Go in what way? He left that to our God-given talents and creativity... He told us, just go. Go how? I will show you. Go where? I will tell you. Go when? I will guide you. But just GO. Be it via media or medical missions, be it through airwaves or airplanes, be it through song or dance or community services or business-planting or social entrepreneurships... in any way and every way, let's just GO.

I've gone on my own money. I've seen with my own eyes. And I have been conquered by the love of God and the cry of the nations. I've seen the work that God is doing all over the world. And I don't want to miss out on His invitation to come join in the harvest.

So bros and sisters, let's spur one another on. To go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded us. Be it in the missions field or marketplace, if you have the desire, God wants to use you today!  Let's not be found guilty of hindering people from going for the Lord. But let's be "guilty" of encouraging people to dream beyond their means, to dream of going... to help them find their wings for the air... and wheels for the ground... let's start going in our hearts, even though the time and money and training may not be enough yet. Let's GO in our hearts. Let's NOT TURN BACK in our hearts back to Egypt like the faithless Israelites did. But let's GO in our hearts towards the Promised Land, like Joshua and Caleb.

Therefore, dear friends, LET US GO! Amen!